USA > Kansas > Smith County > Smith Center > The history of Smith Centre, Kansas, 1871-1971 > Part 8
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The hospital, in addition to the medical staff, has an X-Ray technician, parttime pathologist and other trained laboratory workers.
The hospital board secured as operators of the hospital the Great Plains Lutheran Hospital Association.
Construction on a new addition to the Smith County Memorial Hospital, with remodeling of the older section, started in 1970. The «older section will be completely renovated with the following changes; the kitchen and dining room will be between the old building and the new building, the old kitchen and dining room will be remodeled to serve as offices and laboratories, the admitting office will remain where it is now and the hospital lobby will be extended to the west. The older section has a 26-bed capacity. The new addition will be a 28-bed long-term care center with 2-bed units. The new addition will also have a separate lobby. It is expected to be completed in October of 1971.
PUBLIC SALE!
I will sell at public sale one-half mile south and one mile east of Smith Centre, on
THURSDAY, FEB. 28,
BEGINNING AT 10:00 A. M. THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY:
Bay horse. weight 1300, Block mare, weight 14.00, 7 head of good cows four fresh and others to be fresh soon. 4 one year old steers. 4 calves, 2 one year old heifers, 10 head shoats, 1 good wagon, 1 old wagon, Road wagon. 2 set double harness, Set single harness, Set leather flynets, Badger riding cultivator, walking cultivator.
Stirring plow, Buckeye mower. 2 walking listers, 2 harrows 2 long knife weed cutters, Hand corn sheller. grind stone, Work bench and vice, 50 bu. oats, 3 dozen chickens, Good cook stove. heating stove, Cupboard, bed steads. tables, All household goods and kitchen furniture and many other things too numerous to mention. EVERYTHING GOES.
TERMS OF SALE.
All sums of $5 and under cash in hand. All sums over $5 ten months time will be given with approved secur- ity. with interest at 10 per cent per annum.
E. H. RATLIFF.
AL HESTER, Auctioneer
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Dentists From Then and Now
There is little information on record of the early day dentists of Smith Center. This article was written with the capable cooperation of Dr. Bill Grimes, who recalled through stories as completely as he could, the dentists who were in practice here during the centennial era.
Dr. Grimes told this writer of three famous citizens of our country who practiced the dental trade. One was Paul Revere, who did dentistry, as a sideline to his career as a silver-smith. Zane Gray was a famous writer, who earned enough from his dental practice, to finance the writing of his first novel. An infamous dentist of the early days was Doc Holliday, who resided at Dodge City, Kansas in its heyday and who later moved to Tomb- stone, Arizona.
Emmet Womer used to tell that his father, Sylvestor Womer who homesteaded in Pawnee Township, was the county's first "tooth-puller". Mr. Womer was in the Union Army during the Civil War and learned the "tooth- pulling" trade because, as Emmet told, "the Army Doctors didn't want to bother with pulling teeth." Mr. Womer brought his tools of the trade with him when he emigrated to Kansas.
Mr. Womer's experience in being a "tooth-puller" in Smith County was followed by a group of itinerant dentists, who traveled a circuit, mostly by train. These traveling "tooth-pullers" sent out, ahead of their visits, handbills similar to circus and carnival handbills, telling of the towns and the dates that they would give the citizens dental care. The ads would usually say that "Dr. So- and So would be in Smith Center on a certain day and would make appointments with those people who needed dental care." The dental care was often held outdoors, much to the entertainment of the citizens of the towns.
Dr. Shively came to Smith Center with Dr. Joe Lutz, in 1896, and opened a dental office. Dr. Shively was a "Dapper Dan" who wore a goatee beard, a long-tailed coat and a stovepipe hat. When he wasn't busy in his office, he would hire a buggy or a surrey and a banjo player and ride the streets of town advertising "painless tooth extraction". If, upon examination the tooth was loose, it was pulled painlessly but, if the tooth was more firmly embedded he would tell the patient that he could save the tooth. Dr. Shively was quite a character around Smith Center. He and Dr. Lutz had offices together for several years.
An early day visit to a rural doctor resulted in a surprise for Dr. Frank Relihan. When Dr. Frank came back to Smith Center to practice medicine he decided to call on Dr. J. A. McCammon, at Reamsville, to get acquainted. When Dr. Frank arrived there Dr. McCammon was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree, chewing tobacco. Dr. Frank had visited with him awhile when a man rode up on horseback and asked Dr. McCammon to pull his aching tooth. Dr. McCammon got up and went over to a pile of corn shucks lying there and started digging around in them. He told Dr. Frank that he had pulled a tooth that morning and had tossed the forceps into the corn shucks. Finally, the forceps were found, wiped off with a rag, and the aching tooth was pulled. The man rode off on his horse apparently satisfied with his dental care. Dr. Frank's surprise was the evident unconcern of both Dr. McCammon and the patient over the pulling of the tooth in such unsanitary conditions.
Another story of the lack of sterilization of instruments concerns a local dentist, who sterilized his forceps over a Bunsen burner, and then would pull a used handkerchief out of his pocket and wipe the soot off the forceps and then proceed with his work. Not many in Smith Center ever seemed to suffer too many ill effects from this method.
The Smith Center dentist, who were trained and practiced through the years, were as nearly as can be determined the following: Dr. Campbell, Dr. Shively, Dr. Joe Lutz, Dr. Halbert, Dr. John Buckner, Dr. Harry Tweedy, Dr. Sparks, Dr. Virgil Grinstead, Dr. R. C. Windscheffel, Dr. Paul Dutton, Dr. Bill Grimes, Dr. S. C. Drevitts (new in 1970).
Smith County Medical Society
(Compiled and Written by Victor E. Watts, M.D.)
A compiled list of the Physicians and Surgeons who have practiced medicine and surgery in Smith County, Kansas since the organization of the county. The medical group in Smith County has always cooperated to the fullest extend so all of the group has been included in this report. The Smith County Medical Society was organized and a State charter was granted in 1905. D. W. Relihan, M.D. was very instrumental in the organization and the original charter is now in the keeping of his son Francis H. Relihan, M.D. Listed by cities, we submit the following: SMITH CENTER:
B. W. Slagle M.D.
W. W. Mays M.D.
Hector Morrison M.D.
John B. Dykes M.D.
Albertus Jeffers M.D.
Victor E. Watts M.D.
James M. Scott M.D.
Corwin C. Funk M.D.
Roscoe Mays M.D.
L. W. Stephenson M.D.
Francis C. Obert M.D.
John R. Montgomery M.D.
G. W. Cannon M.D. (Crystal Plains) Sarah Selbe M.D.
KENSINGTON:
Lafe W. Bauer M.D.
J.W. Johnson M.D.
L. A. Golden M.D.
Robert Sheppard M.D.
R. Schoonhoven M.D.
Hugh J. Woods M.D.
F. M. Bilby M.D.
Perry Rashleigh M.D.
R. R. Osborn M.D.
William W. Steen M.D.
W. H. Pearson M.D.
1. E. Nickell D.O.
O. C. Reed M.D.
Buford Hartman M. D.
GAYLORD:
F. M. Leary M.D. Holmes M.D.
J. W. S. Cross M.D. W. H. Bostwick M.D.
ATHOL: W. W. Scott M.D. Henry H. Hearle M.D.
BELLAIRE:
J. W. Yankey M.D.
W. W. Love M.D.
J. L. Cooley M. D. Lanning M.D.
CEDAR:
W. H. Bostwick M.D.
CORA: William Bell M.D. Charles Nelson M.D.
REAMSVILLE: J. A. McCammon O. C. Reed M.D. (later Kensington) Hardesty M.D. (later Jennings) Fairchild M.D.
Brewster Higley lived on Beaver Creek in N.W. part of the county, later going to Gaylord.
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LEBANON:
D. W. Relihan M.D.
Henry A. Dykes M.D.
B.P. Hatch M.D.
Milo Robertson M.D. Bower M.D.
E. W. Eustace D.O.
Dennis A. Hardman M.D.
HARLAN:
Walter Tallman M.D.
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D
S
MILITARY
BAND
SMITH CENTER CITY BAND in 1900. Back row - Jamie McDowell, Frank Springer, Harry Relihan, Art Relihan, Art Nelson, Frank Relihan, Ben T. Baker, Ed Wentworth, Bob Dundas, Ray Moore, Clyde Moore. Next to back row - E. Dahlgren, Lou Lyon, Bill Simpson, Walter Stevens,
Melvin Rinehart, Vern Hendricks, Fred Uhl. Third row from back - Art Hutchinson, Vete Hutchings, Archie Coolidge, Wardie Stone, George Hendricks (leader), Bill Mahin, George Pickler, Ralph Hutcherson, Gene Hutchin- son. Snare drummers - Louie Stevens, George Round.
Smith Center Had "Pest" House in 1899
Smith Center had a smallpox scare in 1899, when four of our townsmen became afflicted. They all survived. They were Tod Reed, George Eply, Frank Burrow and Ed Spratlin. It was understood that the men contracted the disease from a strange man in the barber shop of Ed Spratlin. Mr. and Mrs. Cal Owens had both had the disease earlier so Mr. Owens nursed at the Tod Reed home and Mrs. Owens nursed at the Frank Burrow home. Several young men were thought to be exposed so they were con- fined to a house in the northwest part of town - the house took the name "The Pest House". In that day the prescribed treatment for smallpox was 4 teaspoons of vinegar in a glass of water daily. The stores in Smith Center were soon sold out of vinegar and had it shipped to them in barrels and kegs, the demand was so great.
Buffalo Stampede
Mrs. Helen Zimmerman, who came to Smith Center with her parents the J.M. Stevens in the fall of 1872, used to tell of an incident which happened on an early day celebration. In the early afternoon, when all at the picnic were enjoying the special occasion, they suddenly heard a loud noise and could see by the dust that a buffalo herd was approaching from the north. The men grabbed weapons and mounted horses to ride to the scene to endeavor to turn the stampede away from the city. One buffalo fell into a cellar that was being dug on North Main Street and was shot. The man with the gun also shot at other buffalo. Other men waved and yelled and swerved the animals to the west. The celebration was in Springers Grove then at the south edge of town just across from the present Rock Island depot.
Just One Sod House In Smith Center
The newer generation probably thinks that Smith Center, in it's early days, was dotted by numerous sod houses in which the early settlers made their homes. But such is not the case. Our town had one sod house. It was built in 1872 or 1873 by Col. L.P. Sherman who used it as a storage place for thousands of hedge trees that he sold over the country to homesteaders. In later years he quit the business and Rube Jarvis, son of Judge Jule Jarvis, used it to house his "rain-making equipment and chemicals". The sod house stood for 30 years on the site now occupied by Bonecutter-Hill Chevrolet Co.
Sunflower Stalks As Building Material
In the 1902 Pioneer there is a story of the Sherman House which had been built in 1873. While tearing out a partition at the Sherman House a lot of sunflower stalks were taken out. They had been used as lath when the hotel was built 29 years before when lumber was scarce and money was even scarcer. So the sunflower stalks, with which the country was covered, were used and they answered the purpose very well. The people gathered up the "lath" and kept them as relics. The Sherman House was torn down in 1943, after 70 years, and the Relihan Law Office was built on the location.
The first street paving in Smith Centre was done on several blocks of Main Street in 1923.
L. C. Uhl, Jr. and S. C. Stevens had large commercial apple and cherry orchards east of the standpipe in the early 1920's.
MC PHERSON- MERCHANT HERG.CO.
EARLY DAY PHOTO, west side of Main street, looking north from New York street. Note street sprinkler, old model car, teams and buggy wagon.
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The Legal Profession
Of the various classes of people who came here to make Smith Center what it is to-day, we are undertaking here to write about the lawyers and judges who made their contribution over the one hundred years that have passed. In so far as court records have any bearing on the subject,
it appears that it was in 1873 when Smith Center first came into the lime-light as a county seat town. It was then that the names of resident attorneys appeared, and among them were the names of L.C. Uhl, Sr., G.W. White, E.M. Burr, A.M. Corn, R.M. Pickler, John Q. Royce, F.J. Pattee, W. R. Myers, all of whom resided in Smith Center, and for the most part most of them spent their entire lives here making a substantial contribution to the growth of the town. It is interesting to note that there were more attorneys in Smith Center in 1873 than there is at the present time.
R.M. Pickler served as judge of the Fifteenth Judicial district for a quarter of a century. He was an outstanding judge with a statewide reputation and a man with remark- able judicial qualifications. Judge Pickler was a great credit to his profession and of the time to which he belonged. He was the only Smith county attorney ever to serve as Judge of the Fifteenth Judicial district.
Of the five lawyers now engaged in the practice in Smith Center, all but one were born, raised and educated in Smith County. There are many who started in the law practice in Smith County who have gone to other locations and met with fine success. At this point it might be well to mention a few of them. Franklin Hahn, of Phillipsburg, Donald Moyers, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Judge William B. Ryan, our present District Judge, J.F. Bennett, late of Norton, Kansas, Ralph Hutchinson, who was admitted here and located in South Dakota, Ray Bottomly, who was born and raised at Cedar and moved to Montana where he served as Attorney General of the state with considerable distinction, at least enough that we are proud to claim him as our own.
There was a tendency in the early days of Smith County for certain families to follow the professional career of their father, uncle or other relative. In this respect the Mahin Family holds the championship for furnishing the most lawyers within its family circle. The original stock was I.M. Mahin and F.W. Mahin, who were brothers and originally lived at Cedarville. William E. Mahin, son of 1.M. Mahin, was raised in Smith Center for the greater part of his younger days, he studied law and entered the practice and had good success. Donald Moyer, married the daughter of William Mahin, and, as stated heretofore, is practicing law in Tulsa. Hilary Mahin, son of F.W. Mahin, entered the law business and was an extremely competent attorney at Bartlesville, Oklahoma, but his promising career was shortened by a heart attack. Then there was Mason Mahin, son of F.W. Mahin, who is engaged in the law practice and now located in Washington, D.C. In addition to these family members of the profession, there is Salina Mahin Teeple, sister of F. W. and 1.M. Mahin, whose son, George Teeple was a very fine and successful lawyer at Mankato, Kansas, until his death a few years ago. Another attorney in the Mahin family was Roy Adcock, who married the daughter of Hilary Mahin. Roy is now located in California and in the law profession.
Another family that made a fine contribution to the history and advancement of the county was E. S. Rice, who was the first in this county to take the law course at Kansas University Law School. His nephew, W.S. Rice,
associated in the practice with his uncle, E.S. Rice, and both were very able and fine attorneys and a credit to the profession.
From the early beginning of this part of Kansas and Smith County we find at frequent intervals the name of Weltmer and quite naturally their names will appear among the lawyers who have been a part of our history and tradition, and we cannot resist including the Weltmers as among our numbers and to say the least we have a second mortgage on them. The firm of Weltmer, Weltmer & Weltmer of Mankato, Kansas, is one of the outstanding firms in our part of the State, the firm being headed by Loren E. Weltmer, father of Roderick and Marmoduke, all highly educated, industrious and competent lawyers and who spring from the root planted in Smith County soil where Loren E. Weltmer was born and raised and we hope he will always have a place and be counted as one of us.
We come to the limit of the space allowed for us for the chapter on Lawyers of Smith County and it may be that we have inadvertently over-looked some that should have been included. One of the old successful and highly regarded lawyers of just a few years back was L.C. Uhl, Jr., known to most of us as Lennie. He was a good lawyer and a good Democrat. Lennie had many of the same qualities of Harry Truman, and in many ways has reminded us of the great Harry who was loyal and full of fight.
We acknowledge with thanks the help we have received from Florence Vincent, the Clerk of our District Court and extend our appreciation therefore. She very willingly gave much time in helping us with the necessary research required.
Among the early lawyers in Smith Center was Tod Reed who began his practice at 19 years, in 1888. He was probably the first of those early lawyers who had been to college - he attended Gould college at Harlan. He served as county attorney for six years and became State Senator from this district. In 1911 he went to California but after ten years there returned to Smith Center and again practices law in this county.
Miles Elson studied law books while he was serving as county superintendent of schools, passed the bar and became another Smith Center lawyer. He served as county attorney during his practice and closed out his career as probate judge where he served several terms.
Frank Bell got his legal education the hard way, work- ing to pay his way through law school. After passing the bar he returned to Smith Center to practice. He served several terms as county attorney during his career.
Wilford R. Lutz practiced law in Smith Center some 35 years and during that time served as county attorney. He developed an income tax service to which he devoted most of his time for the latter part of his career.
(Much of the above information was furnished and prepared by A.W. Relihan. However other contributors feel that three lines he alloted to the Relihans was too brief, hence this additional comment.)
As a family there has been a Relihan law office in Smith Center for over 80 years. D.M. Relihan, father of A.W. and T.D. Relihan, opened a law office in 1891 and an uncle, A.S. Kingsbury, was also an attorney here for years.
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Art, senior member of the firm of Relihan, Relihan & Relihan, graduated from Kansas University law school on May 30, 1906, the same day of his father's funeral. Because of his father's death, he didn't take the bar in 1906 but was issued a permit to practice by the district . judge, taking the bar in 1907. But he began his legal career in June 1906, 65 years ago this centennial year. He served as county attorney and was state representative back in the 1930's.
Ted, Art's brother, completed his legal education at KU in 1912 and immediately joined his brother in practice. They became one of the best known law firms in Kansas and are still practicing together.
Terry, Ted's son, also a graduate of the University of Kansas law school, joined his father and uncle in legal practice in 1950 to add a third Relihan name to the firm.
Arno Windscheffel, a Smith county native of the Gaylord vicinity began his practice of law in Smith Center in 1935 after graduating from the University of Washburn law school. He served as county attorney and was state representative. He was also a member of the State Board of Water Resources for seven years and chairman three years. He was presented a plaque by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior for outstanding work in the field of soil and water conservation.
Wayne Grindol was county attorney from January 1963 to February 1966 when he resigned to go into the banking business in Jewell.
James Fetters, present county attorney, is aggressive and the making of a very good lawyer. Jim has been with us only a few years but he is making fine progress and is certain of success.
Celebration July 4, 1876
The Centennial 4th of July in Smith County in 1876 was attended by a crowd of 2,000 persons. The celebration was held at Phillips Grove, 2 1/2 miles northeast of Smith Center, where many beautiful trees grew at that time. At least 1,200 people gathered early in the morning in Smith Center to form a parade to the grove. A.J. Watson was appointed as marshall of the day. The procession was a mile and a half long and was headed by the Pawnee Guards under the command of W. H. Nelson and marshall band of Hank Myers on fife, Wash Johnson on snare drum and James Cameron on bass drum. The morning program was made up of music by the drum corp and patriotic singing, a reading of the Declaration of Independence and an oration by the Hon. M.B. Sherwin. All enjoyed picnic dinners after which the crowd was called to order to hear the history of Smith County.
Perhaps the most interesting and attractive feature was the representation of the 13 colonies by 13 of the prettiest girls of the county. They were attired in the costumes of the times and rode during the parade in an elaborately decorated hayrack, pulled by two prancing horses. The young ladies were Eva Stevens, Cora Burr, Ida Cordry, Kitty Baker, Mary Bonnett, Hattie Bonnett, Fanny Walker, Henriette Travis, Nina Newkirk, Nora Dedrick, Hattie Garlow, Katie Chandler and Emma Chandler. Jessie Edson represented the Goddess of Liberty. Other States were represented by little girls each dressed in white with a pink sash on which was lettered the name of the State. To A.B. Cordry, Superintendent of Smith Center Sunday Schools, belonged the credit of arranging the pageant.
The Wentworth-Wilson Furniture Store had the first Acetylene gas lights in their store in Smith Center.
Smith Center's First Flag
Smith Center's first flag was made in 1876 and completed in June of that year by the women of the town. The flag was patterned and sewed together in a home-made tent. The women took their sewing machines to the tent and worked together in making the flag, being assisted by Cap't. J. S. McDowell, who cut the stripes and made the pattern for the 44 stars. The edges were whipped over and all of the stars were sewed to the field by hand. The flag measured 6 feet by 12 feet. It took 2 weeks to make the flag which was first used at a 4th of July picnic in Phillips Grove in 1876.
Smith Centre Businesses in 1915
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Haberly found a copy of the November 11, 1915 issue of the Smith County Journal which was referred to as the "Industrial Review". Smith Centre was an aggressively progressive city of about 1,600 population. This issue of the paper was devoted to Smith Centre enterprises and told of the "goodness of life" in our town.
The C. S. Buchanan store advertised women's shoes costing from $2.50 to $3.50. The Coolidge Clothing Store had an ad for Hart Shaffner and Marx men's coats for $25.00. There was a long article telling of S. C. Stevens' various enterprises and his great success with the Stevens orchards east of the standpipe. He had 5 acres of fruit trees at this location.
Some other stores mentioned are: Cooley's Variety Store; W. M. Brown, Furniture; Ed Rugger, The "New Cafe"; Walker & Son, Produce; Ed Stevens, Grocers, Who Urges The Townfolk To Eat Flapjacks Made With Buckwheat Flour At 6¢ a Pound; Barger's Men's Store; Bert Boeve, Grover was hiving a coffee sale at 25¢ to 30¢ a pound; Wilson and Hughes, Furniture, Hosier Kitchen Cabinets for $29.00; Smith Centre Lumber Company urging people to buy their coal now; Studebaker Cars for $885, C.F. Jackson; Weiss Department Store; Sargent & Rhodes, Max- well Cars for $695; Warble, Dimond & Son, Drug Store, Paint Sale; Overland Cars for $1,095, Wm. Bell; E. E. Matson & Company, "The Leader in Low Prices"; C. H. Rugger, Jeweler; M. E. Hays, Blacksmith and Wagon Maker; Bland House Hotel on Kansas Avenue (Mr. Bland also tuned and sold pianos); W. E. Luse, Hardware & Implements; Palace Barber Shop, B.F. Lowery assisted by Lester Sage one of the first barbers in Smith Centre); J.S. Myers, Groceries and Queensware; Erle E. Bucanan, Suitatorium; W. C. Roberts, Cleaner & Dyer; and Dimond & Faulkner, Buick Cars for $985.
In 1915 this area had 1,000 cars and the Hickman Steam Vulcanizing Works was formed. Other businesses were: E. P. Smith, Harness & Saddlery; J. D. Boyle, Abstractor; R. E. Henderson and Son, Hardware Store; J. O. Smith, Ford & Saxon Cars; Palace Cafe, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Maxwell; Mathes & Mathes, Real Estate & Loans; Horton & Taylor, Veterinarians; and Connor & Agnew, Veterinarians. All of the pictures in this edition were taken by the Stevens Brothers Studio, E. B. Stevens managed the Smith Centre shop.
In 1915 Smith Centre had 2 banks, 2 schools, 2 telephone systems, 3 elevators, 5 blacksmith shops, 1 cigar factory, 2 cement block factories, 1 marble and granite works, 2 livery stables, 2 book stores, 4 law firms, 6 physicians and 2 dentists. It also had 1 electric light company with 24 hour service.
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